Construction of evaporator units and composite evaporators



L. M. CROSLEY ET AL CONSTRUCTION OF.EVAPORATOR UNITS AND COMPOSITE EVAPORATORS April 18, 1939.

2 sheets-'sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1934 EGA.

INVENTORS. M CRasf. E Y /PaLmva hf Man/EX www ATTORNEYS.

1 M. cRosLEY ET A1. 2,154,562

Filed Aug. 20, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 18, 1939.

CONSTRUCTION OF EVAPORATOR UNITS AND COMPOSITE EvAPORATORs Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSTRUCTION AND or Evaromi'ron UNrrs comosrrn EvAroiwrons Lewis M. Crosley and Boland Il; Money,l Cincinnati, Ohio, assignorl to The Crosley Co tion, a corporation ci hio c -sppiiaon mi zo, 1934, serai No. '140,554 whims' (ci. oef-izo) Our invention has to do with evaporators for mechanical refrigerators, and in particularwith `make vup larger evaporator structures for a va-` riety of uses, including but vwithout limitation, the refrigeration of liquids, cooling of air spaces,

and theprovisionof evaporators for larger types" of refrigerators. While it vwill be understood that the unit device of our invention is not re- L stricted thereto, we shall describe it in an embodiment which wasdesigned for use in a re- /frigerator cabinet having, say, two cubic feet of storage capacity, or ythereabouts. Such refrigerators would usually be made with a cabinet of smallsize, in which a lower compartment houses the motor, compressor and condenser, and an upper or refrigerator compartment houses the evaporator, and has a lid swinging on horizontal pivots as distinguished from a door. The problems connected with the design of an evaporator y for a structure of this type comprise considerations of size, smallness of vertical dimensions, efciency in use, economy of construction, and sumcient capacity to permit its use. with various types of refrigerant delivery means, especially the capillary tube and the like. The desidera'tum otrelatively small, vertical dimensions suggests the use of an evaporator which is a good deal wider than it is deep. rand this involves ancillary problems ,of .the circulation -oi the refrigerant.

A Another problem is that of simplicity of design,

we attain a number of the objects referred to above, together with high eiilclency, a better circulation and great econom as compared with any of the ordinary-typesoi larger evaporators. These and other objects which will be set forth i hereinafter, or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these speciilcations, we

accomplish by that certain arrangement oi parts of which we shall now describe the aforesaid ,e Vexengiplary embodiment. For clearness reference v is nowmade tothe drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of our novel evaporator. Figure2is a sideviewthereoi, and.

plane.

Figure 3 is a sectional view. Figure 4 shows al refrigerator employing our evaporator.

'Figure 5 is an elevational view of a larger refrigerator having a combination evaporator 5 which comprises a plurality oi our umts.

Figure 6 is va sectional view taken along the llines 6-'-8'of Figure 5.

Essentially in the practice of ourinventiom we provide a wide and relatively thin evaporator, l0

the main body components oi which comprise three plates. An upper anda lower ,plate are pressed in dies 'so as to provide a header and an extension thereon, which extension is embossed with lingen-like corrugations yextending l5 nearly but not quite to the outer edge thereof.

-A pairoi' these plates may be placed in opposed relationship, with the third plate, which is a flat plate, between them@ This-flat plate serves as a diaphragm or division member between 20 upper and lower parts oflthe evaporator as such. It is perforated near its outer end so as to prop vide passagewaysfr'om the lower embossed to the upper 'embossed portion, wherebythe embossed portions are caused to act as continuous tubes. 25 I have shown in Fig. 1 an upper plete I, having edge portions 2, lying substantiallyinl the same This plate is embossedas at 3 to form a longitudinally disposed header space, and is also' embossed vas atv 4 to provide the finger-like 80 extensions as aforesaid. As shown. in Flg.'2, the lower plate 5- is an embossed plate, essen-.- tially likev the plate I.. While these plates may be made up as rights and lefts, it is more convenient to make them up ,from a single die.

lWhen this is done, an oriiice matie at one end of the header and shown to theiright at 0 in Fig. 2, will fall to the leit as at l in the lower plate in the same gure. To the oriilce B may be attached s tlt'ting 8. to which will-be con- 40 nected in the usual way the outlet tube for gaseous refrigerant leading to the compressor; To this ntting I prefer to attach an oil 'skimmingdevice indicated at l, which is in the form of atube, having, as viewed from above, a concave 45 bend therein varid being open `at the end marked it so as to' forman inlet for refrigerant/to be withdrawn through' the fitting l. The lowest portion of the orifice Il will'be above the tops of the embossed fingers l. The purpose oi the 5o skimming device 9 is to control the level of the refrigerant within the evaporator, and to assist in the removal of the oil which iioats on the refrigerant. This oil collects in a sump formed ,by the concave bend in the tube l, until suiilcientv 55 of the inventors herein, which has now matured into Patent No. 1,978,027 issued October 23, 1934.

To the orifice 'I there is attached a tting II, to which may be connected whatever type vof refrigerant delivery device is vbeing employed. We prefer to use a capillary tube as a continuous refrigerant delivery device, but our invention is not limited thereto. g

Between the plates I and 5 there is situated athird plate I2 shown both in Figs. 2 and 3. This plate is preferably of the same external dimensions as the plates I and 5, but is flat. Near its outer end, i. e. near the tips of the finger l it is perforated as shown at I2 in the figures, which perforations form the only connecting means between the two chambers into which the plate I2 divides the evaporator. The several plates' are assembled in the relationship shown, and are welded together about their edges so asto make the evaporator tight. The plates may likewise be spot welded together between the fingers l if this is found desirable, in order to provide resistance to internal pressure. The evaporator may afterward be tinned, or otherwise treated, as desired. The action of the device is as follows: Assuming that refrigerant in liquefied form is introduced into the device through the fitting II, it first fills the lower header indicated at I4 in Fig. 2. Thence it flows outwardly toward the far edge of the `device through the tube-like fingers 4 of the lower' plate. It passes next through the perforations I 2 in the tube-like fingers of the upper plate, I, and thence flows to the header 3 thereof, whence it is withdrawn through the skimmer 9 and fitting 2. It will be understood that in the normal' operation of the device, the refrigerant changes from liquid to simple and economical. to construct. In spite of its relatively small dimensions it has a' fairly high capacity, inasmuch as the lower header and a considerable portion of the upper header are kept full of refrigerant, as well as the tube-like portions. Embossed portions 4 form a continuous passageway from one header to 'thel other. `Even circulation of the refrigerant throughout the evaporator is insured by these, and evenness of ilow is further assisted by the fact that the inlet and outlet fittings are respectively at opposite ends of the headers.

. Such an evaporator may be supported in a r frigeration compartment in any way desired.'.` yWe have shown in the various figures the inner surface of a refrigeration compartment at Il, and various bracket members It serve as supports. These brackets may, 'if desired, be welded, or otherwise affixed to the evaporator as such, and detachably secured to the wall of the -refrigeration compartment, or the brackets may have such a construction that the evaporator may merely rest upon them by gravity. The former construction is perhaps preferable because the evaporator cannot then become displaced.

When supported as shown, the extension of the like, as'shown at Il in Figures 3 and 4. `In

mounting the evaporator it iswell to give the shelf-like portion thereof a slight downward tilt to prevent the accumulation of moisture thereon.

In Figure 5 we have shown' a larger refrigeratorl in which an evaporator of much greater capacity has been formed by joining together in series a plurality of the unit evaporators which we have hereinabove described. These units have been broadly indicated in Figures 5 and 6, by the letters A, B and C, and will not be particularly described. It may be seen however, that it is possible to couple up our units in substantially any way desired, and when a number of units are coupled together as in a refrigerator, the extensions of the unit evaporators not only may form the shelves upon'which 'it is desirable to position ice cube trays, but also have the particular advantage that each` tray then rests upon a refrigerator shelf. Consequently there is a much more emcient heat interchange and a much more rapid wcooling of the water in the trays. Moreover when a series of our units are combined as aforesaid, the efficiency of the evaporator as such evaporator beyond-the headers forms a shelf upon v is increased by reason of the very positive circuf orators of the same capacity heretofore manufactured. As shown in the figures, the refrigeration is introduced through a tube 20 into the lowermost evaporator C, and the evaporators are connected together in series by means of tubes 2i and 22. The refrigerant is withdrawn through the tube 2l. which sconnected to the oil skimming device hereinabove referred to. We have 'shown ice cube trays 24 resting upon the shelflike portions of the evaporator units A, B and C. We have shown these units connected together by suitable bracket members indicated at 25 and 2l. These will not be particularly described inasmuch as they may be varied for various types of refrigerators. It will be understood that a vertical arrangement of the units is not theonly arrangeunits maybe connected together. A series of such units so connected may likewise-be connected in tandem where desired. The units lend themselves to various groupings which are particularly adapted to such uses as the cooling of refrigerated counters, liquid coolers and the like. In. the particular embodiments of Figures 5 and 6,

ment which may be chosen. Any`number of the we have shown a face plate 21 with openings therein to admit the trays, and having a cold control device indicated .broadly at 28 mounted thereon. 'I'he capsule of the cold control device may be mounted to the middle evaporator unitv as at 29.

It will'be obvious that by making the evaporator units with rights and lefts, or by making provision for openings at both ends of each heater. considerable lengths of the connecting tubing 2I Modifications may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure bvLetters 'Patent, is:

1. An evaporator'of substantially broad, datl shape comprising an enlarged portion at one side, andan extension therefrom lying substantially in a horizontal plane, said enlarged portionbeing divided into upper and lower parts, and means within said evaporator for conducting.'refrigerant therefrom from one of the parts to the outer edge of said extension and back again to the other 'of said parts.

2. An evaporator for refrigerators comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber located in close proximity and having a relatively small' combined.. vertical dimension, an extension from said chambers comprising an outward and return path for refrigerant therebetween, said extension forming a shelf adapted to suppOrt a'n ice cube tray.

,3.` Afrefrigerator evaporator comprising upper and lower embossed plates having upper and lower header members, and outlet and inlet means for refrigerant thereto, respectively, and an intermediate plate having at least one opening therein, all of said plates being fastened together and so arranged that the intermediateplate functions to divide the headers from each other andto produce an even flow of refrigerant throughout said structure.

4. .in evaporator forrefrigerators comprising upper andlower plates embossed to form headers and semi-tubular extensions therefrom, "said plates being joined together toform an evaporator, and an intermediate baille member formed to close of! said headers and extensions from each other excepting in a yrestricted area' for forcing refrigerant introduced into one of said headers to traverse said extensions before y other of said headers. Y

5. A broad and relatively nat evaporator comi prising a portion adapted to form a shelf, said evaporator being divided internally'by a diaphragm member. means for introducing refrigerant and withdrawing refrigerant from essentially the same side of said evaporator, said diaphragm being perforated to cause refrigerant to traverse all internal parts `oi said evaporator between the inlet point and the outlet point, and

it reaches the said diaphragm serving/otherwise to divide' said inlet point from said outlet point.

6. A refrigerator evaporator structure comprisupper and lower plates embossed to form. a header upon one side and semi-tubular extensions -therefrom, said plates being joined together in opposed positions with anl. intermediate baille member therebetween, said baie member serving to separate and close off the header formed in each plate, tocicse offy said semi-tubular-extensions from each other, and to permit passage of liquid therebetween only at pointstherein remote from said headers .for forcing refrigerant introduced into one of said headers to traverse said extensions before it reaches the other of said. headers, said units being connected togetherin tandem,

the upper header of .one being connected to the lower header of the next and so on, tlie'lower Aing a `pli'irality of units, each unit comprising header of the first -of said units being providediao form juxtaposed header portions and juxtaposed finger-like extensions which form tube-like portions, and an internaldiaphragm completing the headers and perforated and arranged to cause refrigerant passingvfrom one of said headers to the other of said headers to traverse said tubelike portions.

8.- An evaporator for refrigerators comprising a pair of embossed plates fastened together in opposed relationship, said plates being embossed to form juxtaposed header portions and juxtaposed flnger-like extensions which form tube-like portions, and an internal diaphragm completing the headers and perforated andarranged to cause yrefrigerant passing from one of said headers to the other of said headers to traverse said tube-like portions, entrance means for liquid refrigerant adjacent one end of one of said headers and with- 'drawal means for gaseous refrigerant adjacent the other end of the other header.

M. CROSLE'Y.`

H. MONEY. 

